7.04.2019

In Favour of Pro-Choice

Update: I can summarize it as follow: Let women do whatever they want to their bodies, if they remove something from their body, and that thing can then become a living being and then a human and then a person, then let's try to keep it alive once it is outside using new medical marvels; I assume anti aborting activist will pay for the care. But if it can't, well use it for research or whatever.

At this moment of my life, 40, married and with two small children, I don't imagine having to decide to support my wife to have an abortion. If for some reason we end up pregnant again, even though it is not part of the plan, I guess my wife and I would shrug, look at each other, and say it will be tough but baby number 3 is coming.

Of course by saying "we end-up pregnant", I am referring to a social construct. The one actually pregnant, with what would end up being a baby inside her body, is my wife. If for some reason, she decides she wants to have an abortion; I don't know how I would react, my initial thoughts, my initial reaction would be, ok, I support you. Thankfully, we have never reached that point in our lives.

Thinking back, I don't think I would have ever been in a situation in which I would either try to convince someone to have or not have an abortion... or just to have that conversation with someone.

I am privileged. My life, although far from being sorted out, it is comfortable and the thought of rising a new baby, albeit daunting at first and not part of the script, is something that can be done. But if my way becomes pregnant, then it is first her decision to what happens next.

I am sure that there are millions of people thinking that pregnancy is something that can not be interrupted. Regardless of the situation in their lives, they would carry-on to term, because for them that is the right thing to do. Let them carry the pregnancy to term, but for those who believe differently, do not stand in the way.

Because, if men end-up pregnant, again the social construct, they can just disappear off the life of the women that are actually pregnant. Men have a choice, they stay or leave. Unlike a woman, who can not run away from her own body.

Most people would agree that health reasons are the only valid ones to allow a woman to have an abortion. Mainly when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger. The following exception usually accepted is rape or incest, and then severe malformations of the product.

Besides those reasons, there can be other reasons a women may have to have an abortion: living a life of violence, extreme poverty, consequence of systematic rape, the consequence of just one rape, feeling alone, mental issues, addiction to drugs. I am sure there are others, less dramatic to the reader, but equally important to the woman who has to then decide to not continue her pregnancy.

And of course, there is another reason: it is the body of the woman and she should decide what happens to it. Regardless of anything else.

I remember reading a liberal Mexican columnist stating that abortion is a fight between two rights: the right of the women over their own body, and the right of a baby to be born.

Also, I remember that during the discussion to legalize abortion in Mexico City, was that science seems to agree that the embryo can be considered a human around week 12. Thus abortion is legal before week 12 in Mexico City.

After week 12, then, abortion is usually only allowed, when it is allowed, is because of health reasons. The pregnant woman life is in danger.

I know plenty of people who would argue that having an abortion, at any time, is killing a baby. So the would be in favour of banning all abortions. Or giving very specific reasons as to when an abortion is to happen: rape, incest & the life of the mother is in danger.

Even when there are health exceptions, it is not uncommon to read that women end up in jail because of a miscarriage that some prosecutor thought it was an abortion.

I am in favour of the choice, women should decide what to do with their bodies. There should not be a ban on abortions. Because those laws more than protecting a potential baby would do more to criminalize a pregnant woman.

Regarding late-term abortions, I think here is where there is really a dispute of rights. If the baby is viable, then it should be brought to term in an incubator. Who pays for it and what happens to the baby after is viable, is different. But still, the woman should not be prosecuted for it.